Dwarf cerith
Science name: Cerithium lutusom Menke. Small beautifully sculptured ceriths occur in clusters and inhabit a range of habitats from intertidal areas to coral reefs. You may also like [smart_post_show id="19584"] ...
Bearded fireworm
A highly conspicuous worm with red gills and toxic white bristles on each segment. It feeds on the soft tissue of corals and sea anemones and is readily observed on reef rubble in shallow water, under stones, and on the coral reef. Though slow moving it is highly mobile and forages out in the open. When disturbed, the worm flares out the bristles so they are more exposed and ready to detach. Wear protective footwear while wading on the reef flat and in the shallows and avoid contact. The venom-filled bristles are easily shed and cause an intense, burning, long-lasting irritation. Recommended First Aid...
Atlantic ghost crab
Science name: Ocypode quadrata. This sand-coloured crab with white claws is familiar to all who visit sandy beaches as it scurries about foraging for food at the tideline. It lives in holes on the beach and creates its burrow by the constant digging motion of its claws to scoop up the sand and toss it away. Nimble and shy it will flee down its burrow in an instant if approached too close. Both a scavenger and a predator of the sandy shore, ghost crabs play an important role in energy transfer in beach ecosystems. You may also like [smart_post_show id="19584"] ...
Shifts Along Our Sandy Shores
Beaches remain the main attraction of tourists to the Greater Caribbean. For small island nation states, tourism accounts for an average of 25% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is the fastest growing sector of their economies. About 115 million people live around the Caribbean Sea’s coastline, and every year, another 20 million people come to visit. This rapid growth in the tourism sector and its associated activity on beaches together with climate change impacts are leading to greater erosion on Caribbean beaches and shorelines. This is damaging the infrastructure and shorelines of coastal communities, depleting important tourism resources, and negatively impacting the...
Acid Oceans
“Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface … Far beneath, in some cases” (The Ocean, 2016). Well not exactly a quote by the ocean itself. I am intentionally being a bit cryptic, because these words make more sense in the context of the movie they were taken from, Moana. Moana is the Maori word for ocean. The Maori being the native peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand. The belief system of the Maori holds nature in very high regard. The kinship between humans and the environment in Maori culture is expressed through kaitiakitanga, a way in which the environment is respected and managed, something that...
Beyond the Blue – Season 4 Episode 3
In Episode 3 President of the Orange Valley Vendors Association, Winston Sonachan speaks about how trade works within the Orange Valley Market. Tune in to the broadcast. ‘Beyond the Blue’ is a radio broadcast of the Institute of Marine Affairs.Sponsored by the Republic Bank Limited ...
Beyond the Blue – Season 4 Episode 2
In Episode 2 we give voice to our fishermen of Trinidad and Tobago. An interview with Don Miguel Pavy of Cumana, Toco, 34 years in the fishing industry ‘Beyond the Blue’ is a radio broadcast of the Institute of Marine Affairs.Sponsored by the Republic Bank Limited ...
Beyond the Blue – Season 4 Episode 1
This season of Beyond the Blue we explore the Fisheries Sector in Trinidad and Tobago; its contribution and its challenges. ‘Beyond the Blue’ is a radio broadcast of the Institute of Marine Affairs.Sponsored by the Republic Bank Limited ...